“Yes.” The chief nodded. “Mr. Vess’s unfortunate demise does nothing to prove or disprove the possibility that he committed the duck prank. But there’s also the possibility that he witnessed the theft of the ducks and was killed because he was trying to confront—or even blackmail—the persons responsible.”

“Persons,” I said. “Are we back to suspecting Caleb and Ronnie?”

“Not necessarily,” he said. “But they’re not out of the woods. Their fingerprints were on the half-empty beer bottles near the campfire at Temple Beth-El. And we found two more bottles near Trinity. No fingerprints, but same brand.”

“And they’re the only underage drinkers in town who favor Gwent Pale?” I asked.

The chief nodded as if conceding the point.

“They are, however, the only underage drinkers already known to be responsible for some of this week’s unfortunate events,” the chief said.

“So you think Mr. Vess was blackmailing them?” I asked.

“Or perhaps he caught them in the act of staging another prank,” the chief said.

“Or someone is trying to frame them,” I said. “But why?”

“I have no idea,” the chief said. “Not yet, anyway.” He was staring at his notebook.

“Is that it?” I asked, after a minute or so.

“Is what it?”

“You said you wanted to talk to me,” I reminded him. “Was that what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“No.” He sat up straighter in his chair, turned a few pages in his notebook, then looked back up at me. “Is Trinity thinking of hiring Jerome Lightfoot away from the New Life Baptist Church?” he asked.

Chapter 33

I blinked for a moment in surprise.

“Not even on the list of questions I thought you’d be asking,” I said. “Not that I know of. And if anyone at Trinity had been thinking of it, I should think watching Lightfoot in action over the last several days would have made them think better of the notion. No, don’t start thinking the New Life Baptist Church can get rid of him by pawning him off on us. It’s not that easy.”

The chief smiled slightly. Then his face turned somber.

“Then do you have any idea why Barliman Vess would have called the church where Lightfoot worked before he came here to check him out?”

“Did he?” I asked. “And why not ask them?”

“I did,” he said. “I know what he told them. I also know what several members of your vestry think. I was asking you.”